


Pneumothorax

by deepwoundsandfadedscars



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Diego whump, Gen, punctured lung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23604253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepwoundsandfadedscars/pseuds/deepwoundsandfadedscars
Summary: Bad Things Happen Bingo: Punctured Lung.After a rough fight Diego hides just how hard he had been hit until he can't hide it anymore. Cue worried siblings and Mom to the rescue.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 83





	Pneumothorax

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request from my Bad Things Happen Bingo card on Tumblr. The prompt for this one was Punctured Lung!
> 
> I swear not all of my stories are related to drowning or lung issues, I realized this one also could've been called Gasping for Air, which is the title of the last one I uploaded lol

Improvised weapons were cheating, Diego decided, when used by the enemies at least. He wasn't afraid of throwing around a broken bottle or two, but the huge guy rivaling Luther's size who ripped a pipe right off the wall? That was low.  
Diego had the advantage of being quicker at least, bobbing and weaving, throwing blades left and right, but the big guy was hardy. Two blades stuck from his shoulder and another in his forearm, the arm holding the pipe was starting to drop and Diego darted in to get a few good hits on his face.

The weakness was a deception, before Diego could properly block it the pipe was coming in hard, smashing into the left side of his chest. He roared, anger and pain bubbling up the back of his throat as he grabbed the guys neck, launching himself upwards to smash the top of his head into his opponents nose. There was a sickening crunch and the big guy fell, Diego going down with him to land sitting on his chest. 

He sat there gasping, trying to catch his breath. A sharp shock of pain shot up his chest and he pressed a hand to it with a wince before flopping onto his shoulder, rolling to the side to get off the big guy and lay on his back next to him. His hand landed on something cold, the pipe the big guy used against him.

"Cheater," he muttered as he hurled the pipe into the corner. 

Loud footsteps echoed in the hallway before Luther charged into the room, Klaus on his heels.

"There you are," Klaus gasped, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, as though he'd ran a marathon to get there. "How did uh- how did this all go?" He asked, pointing around the room with a finger, including Diego and the big guy.

"Peachy," Diego said, grasping Luther's offered hand and hoisting him to his feet. He quietly hissed between his teeth, but Luther heard it.

"You ok?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Where's everyone else, let's get out of here."

~~~

An hour later everyone was back home at the Academy, some more reluctantly than others, but for now they were gathered in the living room. Luther was wearing a hole in the ground as he paced back and forth across the floor going on about how everyone could have done better today, but it fell on deaf ears. Klaus was draped over the couch, waving his fingers around as though orchestrating a tiny choir only he could see, Allison leaned against the bar quietly judging Five as he mixed himself an oversized martini from the cabinet and Diego sat in a chair against the wall.

He was stubborn. He knew that, everyone else knew that, but there was no way he was going to admit anything was wrong. His chest was tight and it only got worse when he tried to take a deeper breath. No one was paying any attention to him, but he knew if they glanced over they would probably see how pale he'd turned. 

He coughed and the pain ratcheted up another notch, chest tightening like a vice and his breath coming in short gasps. His vision dimmed around the edges and he looked up at his family, despair washing over him. Allison was closest with her back to him and he whispered her name before everything went black.

~~~

"Allison."

It was so quiet she almost didn't hear it, but she glanced over her shoulder to see where it came from. She turned just in time to see Diego lean forward, his hand reaching towards her and then his eyes roll back. She jumped forward and he collapsed into her arms, his face on her shoulder where she could feel his wheezing breath against her throat as she fell to her knees under his weight. "Guys!"

Luther was there in an instant, taking their brother out of her arms and rushing towards the medical room with a holler at Klaus to go get Mom. Five disappeared from behind the bar, likely getting to the medical room before everyone else.  
Allison hurried behind Luther, just barely clutching onto Diego's limp hand that dangled under Luther's arm. Her stomach did flips as she looked at his face cradled in the crook of Luther's elbow. His face was too pale, his lips too blue. His breath whistled deep in his chest.

Luther laid Diego on the gurney in the medical room, jostling a cough from him and his eyes shot open with a harsh gasp. His wide eyes fluttered around, taking in the change of location and who gathered around him. Allison stood to his right, squeezing his hand and leaning close to talk calmly.

"Hey, it's ok Diego, we got you." She said with a smile as Grace pushed Luther to the side so she could get close. "Look, Mom's here, she's going to figure out what's wrong."

"Ribs," Diego gasped out, raising his shaky left hand towards his torso. 

Grace nodded firmly, already deducing what was wrong and moving quickly as she ripped his shirt open. Allison gasped as Diego's chest was revealed, a dark red bruise already blooming across the left side from sternum to armpit. She looked up at her brothers. Luther looked just as shocked as she was, Klaus was leaning back and hissing in sympathy while Five's lips were pressed into a tight line. "Did he say anything about this to you guys?"

They all shook their heads and her attention was dragged back to Diego as he squeezed her hand. "Didn't- didn't want anyone- to- to worry." 

"Be quiet dear," Grace said softly, gathering stuff from the table next to her.

"Diego, what the hell, why shouldn't we have worried, this is bad!" 

"I'm- sorry," he gasped.

"Please be quiet, Diego dear," Grace said, turning back to him, a large needle cradled in her fingers. Diego's eyes went wide and a strangled noise came from his throat as his hand went limp in Allison's, his eyes rolling back in his head for the second time today.

"Some of you might now want to watch," was the only warning they got before Grace plunged the needle into Diego's chest. A whoosh of air could be heard and Allison held her breath as Diego's chest relaxed. He gasped in a huge breath and she sighed in relief, quietly laughing as she heard everyone else do the same.

"Is that all? Will he be ok?" Luther asked Grace, wrapping his hand around her elbow.

"I'll need to look him over more, but he can breath at least," she said with a smile, fixing an oxygen mask over Diego's nose and mouth. "He'll need to stay here and take it easy for a few weeks so I can keep an eye on him and make sure this doesn't happen again, but he'll be ok."

As if on cue, Diego's eyes blinked open, rolling tiredly around in their sockets. He slowly focused on Allison as she leaned over him. 

"Hey, there you are," she said with a smile. "Is that easier to breathe?" 

He closed his eyes and nodded. The mask fogged up as he muttered something, too quiet to be heard.

"What was that?" She asked, leaning closer. He raised his voice a bit so she could hear him.

"Hate needles."

She smiled again, a small laugh slipping out. "Yeah man, you're a big baby. Go back to sleep, we'll take care of you."

He pinched the back of her hand, but smiled weakly before letting his eyes drift closed again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to like or share this story on Tumblr, you can find it [ here!](https://deepwoundsandfadedscars.tumblr.com/post/185523710424/can-i-request-something-from-the-bad-things)


End file.
